Sunflower Swap Meet gets new ownership

The Sunflower Swap Meet will go on. As announced earlier, the 40th annual swap meet scheduled for Feb. 6-7 will be the last year it will be operated by the Wichita A’s car club.

The rights to the Sunflower Swap Meet have been sold to a new entity, The Sunflower Charity Swap Meet, headed by John Saindon of Derby, which will host its first event in 2016.

Saindon is in the process of setting up a board of directors and getting non-profit status for the new organization. He said he was inspired by the Starbird-Devlin Rod and Customs Charities Car Show to set up a similar charitable car-based organization.

“It occurred to me that this is something that just should not end, that it could be something that could contribute to charity,” Saindon said. Although the new organization is not affiliated with Starbird-Devlin, the swap meet will give to the Arc of Sedgwick County, one of the car show’s designated charities. The swap meet will also contribute proceeds to two other charities to be selected.

Saindon said he is currently negotiating for another site for the swap meet, but promised that in any case, there will be a Sunflower Swap Meet in 2016 and that he is working with members of the Wichita A’s to be a part of the new event.

Dennis Ellerman, president of the Wichita A’s said, “It has been our privilege and pleasure to bring this event to the Wichita area. Over the 40 years, folks from across the nation have bought or sold everything from lug nuts to collectible cars at the Sunflower Swap Meet.

“Unfortunately, due to events beyond our control, the Model A club found it necessary to make this our last swap meet.”

He thanked everyone who has attended and supported the swap meet over the last four decades and said, “We are excited for and confident in the new Sunflower Charity Swap Meet.”

This story was originally published January 16, 2015 at 1:18 PM with the headline "Sunflower Swap Meet gets new ownership."